The Federal Government has revealed that it expended $1.2million on deployment of 40 buses for evacuation of at least 2,400 stranded Nigerians out of Sudan, even as the presidency clarely stated that there was no alternative plan for the evacuees who are mostly students of the University of Khartoum, to continue their education in Nigeria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama who made this to known on Wednesday to State House correspondents shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by the President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, explained the high cost of the evacuation was to provide security cover for the eight-hour journey from Luxol to Cairo and the eleven-hour trip from Aswan to Cairo, Egypt.
Onyeama who said none among the Nigerians being evacuated lost their lives admidst heavy fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in early hours of Wednesday, however said there were no talks about alternative plans for continued education for the evacuees, most of whom are students of the University of Khartoum.
It was learnt that at least 40 buses were sent to move Nigerians out of Khartoum and other troubled parts of Sudan early Wednesday.
According to Chairperson of the
Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the evacuation planned for Tuesday failed due to logistic challenges.
She confirmed that the new travel plans were finalised Tuesday night.
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted, “Last night, the Nigeria Evacuation team in Sudan received some buses to transport Nigerian Students to nearby borders in Egypt, before airlifting them to Nigeria, this has been sorted by the Federal Government through @nemanigeria and the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan.
“More buses are arriving this morning and the stranded students will depart today.”, she added
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